, in 2013 (the most recent year available) in the USA there were over 40,000
births that took place in a non-hospital setting (
home or freestanding
birth center) with a midwife in attendance, which means, within a
single year, 40 - 48 babies died who would have lived in a
safer home birth system like that of the Netherlands
However, our study suggests that for a healthy woman with a
single, head - down, full - term baby, planned
home birth with a midwife can be a
safe option.»